10 top school holidays activities: Splashland, Giggle and Hoot’s Magical Xmas, Arthurs Seat Eagle, Reptile Talk & Selfie with Santa
SO many great school holidays activities, so much time. Get started with these 10 rippers, chosen by Mikey Cahill.
Parenting
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SPLASHLAND
Three words that equal happiness: inflatable waterslide park. Splashland water park will feature the world’s biggest inflatable waterslide, the Trippo, along with five other slippery slides for kids under 12 to enjoy.
The waterpark first shoots into Mornington Racecourse in December, before sliding into Caulfield Racecourse in early January. Whoa nelly! For the more competitive types, there’s the six-lane Speed Racer, The Tunnel, a 4.5m high dual tunnel set and The Reef, a 40m long slippery sliding obstacle course.
The under fives are catered for as well, there’s two smaller slides designed specifically for tiny tots. Parents have the option of joining the high-speed fun on Trippo or sitting back and decompressing as the kids soak up the fun across the safety-patrolled waterpark.
Splashland Mornington, 320 Racecourse Rd. December 27-28, two sessions daily, 10am-1pm and 1-4pm. Splashland Caulfield, Station St. Jan 11-24. two sessions daily, 10am-1pm and 1-4pm $5 to $31.50. Under 5s $9.
MUSEUM ALIVE 3D
Sir David Attenborough knows what he’s on about. The wise Brit takes us on a nocturnal adventure through London’s famous Natural History Museum.
When the last visitor leaves, the doors are locked and night falls, and the world’s favourite naturalist roams the museum halls and corridors, encountering extinct creatures that, through the wonder of cutting edge 3D CGI are brought to life right in front of our eyes.
Don’t get scared now. He dodges a sabre-toothed cat and a fearsome bird of prey, he watches, awe-struck, as a spinner dolphin and an ancient ichthyosaur circle the Central Hall, and laughs as a dodo pecks his leg after food.
Classic dodo move. David may or may not feed a hungry Diplodocus by hand from the top balcony.
This film will be screened exclusively in Melbourne’s IMAX theatre.
IMAX Melbourne, 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. Starts Jan 2. Various times. $14 to $20. imaxmelbourne.com.au
SUMMERTIME CINEMA
In the Summertime when the weather is hot … you should head out and see a film that will get you super-excited about Christmas and hanging out with your mates without having to scamper back to class.
A Christmas Story is based on the humorous short stories of that trusted raconteur Jean Shepherd, this genuinely funny family film has become a Christmas favourite worldwide and will appeal to audiences young and old and in the middle too.
Bring an outdoor chair, a picnic rug and take it easy as the stars come out. BYO picnic or let them do the work for you with scrummy options on site.
Central Gardens, Hawthorn. Dec. 17, 8pm (film starts approx. 8.30pm) Free. hawthornartscentre.com.au/event/summertime-cinema
GIGGLE AND HOOT’S MAGICAL XMAS
Parents, kids, you know what to expect when Jimmy Giggle is involved. It’s high-pitched, high-octane fun. It’s Christmas time in the land of Giggle and Hoot and everybody is busy, getting ready for the arrival of Hootoclaws for his special Christmas Night Watch.
Trees are being decorated, presents are being wrapped and all that is left to be done is Twinklify the very dark night sky … but what happens when all the stars suddenly disappear? Will Jimmy Giggle and Hoot be able to brighten the sky again and help save Christmas?
Will they need help from some special Owl Pal friends? If your guess is yes then you’re absolutely right. Starring Jimmy Giggle, Hoot, Hootabelle, Gigglefangs, Pirate Hootbeard and of course the one and only Hootoclaws and his dancing Elves, Giggle & Hoot’s Magical Christmas promises to be easily the most magical show of the season.
Frankston Arts Centre, 27-37 Davey St. Dec. 19, 11am and 1pm, $34.90/$39.90; Playhouse, The Arts Centre. Dec. 20, 11am, 1pm, Wed, 10am, noon, 2pm, $34.90/$39.90. livenation.com.au
SO FRENCHY SO CHIC
Always a hit with families, friends and Francophiles, you can find a BFFF (Best French Friend Forever) and they don’t even need to be from France. Everyone turns red white and blue for the day as Kids under 12 are admitted free. Admit it, that’s an offer too good to refuse.
The Kids Zone has everything from ball-clunking croquet to life-size chess (there’s someone to guide children too, checkmate), energy-burning hopscotch, to butterfly and dolphin face painting; drumming classes, balloon and bubble making.
The food is tres yum: crusty baguettes, salad jardinière, delightful desserts and thick cheeses, all specially prepared picnic hampers. For the parents there’s fresh oysters matched with Laurent Perrier champagne, plus crepes, macaroons, wine, aperitifs and more. The music is a massive drawcard too, see Bertrand Belin, Nouvelle Vague, The Limiñanas and Deluxe.
Werribee Mansion, K Rd. Jan 15, noon. $83. Return buses are available from Southern Cross. sofrenchysochic.com.au
ARTHURS SEAT EAGLE
It’s baaack. And it’s safe as houses. The Arthurs Seat chairlifts have been replaced by sturdy Swiss gondolas. The $20 million project is set to reinvigorate Dromana as a tourist destination and it has School Holiday excursion written all over it.
The new operators have replaced the ski-style lifts with 24 Swiss-made gondolas that each hold eight passengers on the 15-minute, 950 metre journey up or down Arthurs Seat. Everyone can go on the Eagle, whether they’re 1 or 101. Wheelchairs are welcome too.
Summit Station, 795 Arthurs Seat Rd, Arthurs Seat. Base Station, 1085 Arthurs St Rd, Dromana. Daily, 10am-5pm $11 to $24. Kids under 4 are free.
DOGGIE AND DECKCHAIR FILM SCREENING
Bring your dog along in a spooky costume to watch a screening of 2012 hit animation Frankenweenie.
This will be a hoot and you’d be barking mad to miss it.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Doggie and Deckchair charity, Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Picking up from where he left off with The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie traces the story of Young Victor who conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
Voices include Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and the yelp of your pup every time he or she hears a dog bark on screen. Level 2, QV Outdoor Cinema, corner Lonsdale and Swanston sts, city. Jan 7, 8.30pm $14. qvcinema.com.au
REPTILE DISPLAY AND TALK
Kids love creepy crawly things. Check out real live snakes, lizards and other scaly creatures with Andrew Wegener from Australian Wildlife Lectures. It’s OK, none of these will harm you. They say kids turn into empathetic humans when they play with animals and get to know other small creatures while they are small creatures. See and hear all about them from friendly-faced Andrew. Altona North Community Library, Corner Millers Road and McArthurs Rd. Han 12-13; Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre, Central Square Shopping Centre, 2 Newham Way, Jan 16; Altona Library, 123 Queen St, Jan 17-18. Drop in each day 10am to 3pm. Free. libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
FAMILY VIRTUAL REALITY
Everyone has been talking about Virtual Reality for years and now it’s here. Virtual reality is one of the most exciting developments in technology and kids need to know what the future holds so when they are accompanied by a parent or guardian they can explore and experiment with it together as a family by creating a fantastic 3D world.
ACMI, Fed Square. Jan 7 & 14 Jan, 1-3pm. Kids 6 and up. $28/$35. acmi.net.au
SELFIE WITH SANTA AND MARILYN MONROE
Santa and Marilyn Monroe, together at last. Get a selfie with Santa and Marilyn Monroe for Christmas and donate to Sacred Heart Mission. Shoppers will be able to set up a cool Selfie with these iconic figures to share on social media. There’s free entertainment on offer such as balloon magic and facepainting for the kids. The centre will also be giving away a Luxury Christmas Hamper on the day.
Acland Court Shopping Centre, 158 Acland Street, St Kilda (Ground Floor), Dec. 17, noon-4pm. Free. aclandcourt.com.au
Urgent recall for contaminated chicken
An urgent alert has been issued for a contaminated chicken product sold at IGA and Farmer Jacks stores, with authorities warning pregnant women are at risk.
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